Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1887-12-08

efforts made by the Indians to get out Of |
reach OF the cannon. We had clearly won |
the day, and after roll call We went into |
camp. Our casualties were three men |
killed and several wounded, which was |
nothing as compared to the Indian loss.
The weather was very warm, and We were
compelled to march and fight all day with !
out food or water No water was found !
until about 10 O'Clock, when pool was dis
covered half mile from camp. Following
the line of men We reach the mud hole. |
fill our camp kettle and ret. IN TO stain |
the stuff through towel, which, by the |
way, had not been to the laundry lately. |
No lights being allowed we had to dig |
holss in convenient gulch and build
fires there to get supper. and about IL |
o'clock after fasting some 20 hours, the
tired men ate their hardtack and coffee
with considerable relish. Three picket |
lines were formed and every available |
man was on duty--that is, all who had not
learned the art Of sleeping with one eye
open.
BY 4 o'clock the next morning we are
again In the saddle. We pass around the
spur Of the mountain and march northeast
miles, halt and remain there a half hour. |
We then double. quick part Of the cem-
mand back over our own track to the
battle field Of the previous day. A nun
Der Of Indians are already there and a
short skirmish ensued, in which one SOL
der and several Indians were killed. |
The balance of our force soon arrives and |
We go into camp. We now discovered |
fine spring Of water that we knew nothing |
of the night before. After resting until
noon detail was sent mp to the Indian |
csmp in the gulch. The Indians had left
camp kettles, several fue buffalo robes, !
etc, in their hurry 10 get out; but as usu.
al had removed their dead. Only one In |
dram fell into our hands, and that was a |
wounded one who had been found in |
small clump Of bushes by thel Indian sol
diers belonging to the company OF Dakota |
scouts. They set him mp Oh one side of |
the brush, mounted their ponies and rode |
around the brush in single file, each one
sho otipg the poor wretch ever, time they |
CAME around, We soon returned to camp |
saddled up and started for our corrall on
Hart river. having had enough scouting
to satisfy the most fastidious. But We are
again visited 10y the. reds IN camp tat
evening. They made a dash past the
gus rds for our horses, and before we could
intercept them ran off few horses. We
then b,ougbt our horses In close to caEp,
and prepared supper, but before we could
finish eating the guards came running in
from the north shouting The Indians
are killing the pickets!" When we go
into camp. guards are placed from camp to
mile out, and the picket lines had not
vet been drawn in for the night. We
formed in line, and squad was run out to
the northwest of camp to the high gro IND
but could find no Indians, and after re-
conoitering returned to camp. That night
we laid down in line, with our arms on
We got little sleep however, being orderee
up and down several times through the
night. In the morning we find two pick
cts had been killed. Two companies
were detailed to bury them and the rest
of the command resumed march. After
going a couple Of miles We halted to walt
for the two companies. Having be'n up
four nights with scarcely no sleep We Se:e
almost worn out, but the order to hold
our horses prevented sleep. Still cen-
cluded to take my chances in disobeying
the spirit if not the letter of the order,
So tied one end OF my lariat to my horse
and wrapped the other end around my
wrist and lald down. i was awaked by a
comrade shaking me and saying my horse
had got away. Asluck would have 1t
caught him again without being seen by
the captain. so did not have to walk all
day and lead my horse, as have seen
others do for disobeying en- order. We
resumed march and in two days reached
the corrall ON Hart river, without further
incident OF interest We were heartily
welcomed back BY the train and soldiers,
who had no trou BILE with the Indians dur
ing oar hazardous "Trip.
After resting couple OF days ON Aug.
Sd we again broke camp and resumed our
tourney west. After marching three days
over varied country with poor water and
short grass, We reached the bad Lands,
and wonder of wonders, what a country
appeared before us. As we were making
small elevation of the prairie, all at ones
the ground in front of us seemed suddenly
dropped below the general level to the
depth of two or three hundred feet. fe
it is not all gone, for as fur MS we eoult
see in all directions, except back over on
own track, there were mounds, bills, butte'
or whatever you want to call them. Int
tops OF scme of these mounds came mp 4
the level of the prairie We were standing
on, while others were not SO high. The.
we're all kinds Of shapes and colors, IRON
a snow white to a dark red. The sccepte'
theory among US for these peculiar forma
tions OF mother earth was that sometim
immense bodies or veins Of coal had burn
ed over this tract, causing the thin crust o
earth to sink from the surrounding coun
try, leaving mounds where there ~er
rocks instead of coal This was the great
est natural curiosity ever saw, and furn
ished an interesting subject that night 10
J our camp on its edge. The next day wa
hot and dusty, and we we're engaged prin
cipally in making roads, which took us J
miles into the Baa Lands.
BATTLE OF BAD LANDS.
On the 7th detail Of some six hundre
we're sent ahead to open mp roads, WIN
the rest lay in camp resting I'M sho
time the detail came rushing back repor'
: ing horde of Indians ahead, VINO ou
numbered our detail and drove them oac
n - a,